Hame and trace connector.



- G.L.FORMAN. HAME AND' TRACE CONNECTOR. APPLICATION FILED APR JI, 1914.

1,167,160, Patented Jam-4, 1916.

Connectors, of

GEORGE L. EoEMA 0F LOUISVILLE, EENrUcKY, AssIeNoE To EoE N-EEEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OFKENTUCKY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE Louisville, in thecounty of Jefierson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Hame and Trace which the following is a specification. 1I

This invention has relation to certain improvements in hames, butparticularly relates to a draft mechanism which is interposed betweenthe trace and the body of the hame and is specially designed tofullyfovercome in a most simple and practicable manner the irritationand galling of theshoulder which results from a localization of the hamebody at a plurality of separated places and by connecting the trace tosald part through the intervention of a member which is arranged so thatautomatic relative ad-. justment between the hame-part and trace memberis effected in accord with changes in the direction of pull, therelative adjustment being in the direction of the length of the hamebody and such that the line of pull will always be centrally between thepoints of attachment of the hame-part to the body of the hame. v e

' In the accompanying drawings wherein likecharacters of referencedenote like parts in the several views, I have shown several differenttypical embodiments of the invention, but it should be understood thatthese are merely exemplary and that the invention may be otherwisevariously embodied without departing from its spirit or the scope of thesubjoined claims. In the drawings: Figure 1 isa side elevation of a hamebody and part of a trace connected to each other by a mechanism made inaccordance with my invention, exemplifying a form wherein a slottedplate has its ends connected by flexible elements to the hame-body. Fig.2 is a detail representation of the slotted plate. Fig; 3 is a detailrepresentation of a form of trace-member which may desirably be employedwith said slotted plate. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing part of ahame-body exemplifying YFORMAN, a citizen of the United States, residingat HAME A TRACE co NEcToR;

.one form wherein a bar is substituted for the slotted plate; Fig. 5isaside elevation exemplifying a formin which rigid members aresubstituted'for-the flexibleelements shown in" the preceding views, thisfigure showing'said' rigid members connected to a slotted plate likethat shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig; 6 isa View similar to Fig. 5, exceptthat it"exemplifiesa bar and trace-member like those shown in Fig.lfinlieu of the slotted plate and trace-member shown in Fig. 5." Fig.- 7is a view exemplifying the use of flexible straps as substitutesfor theSpecification of Letters Patent. Pate ntedjJ'a nl 4 1916 A Applicationfiled April 1, 1914. rSerialNo. 828 :7703 i links'shown in' Figs. land4.. Fig. Sis a 7 side elevation ofa hame body and part of v a traceconnected to each other by a draft "mechanism which comprises a loop or,D and flexible'straps. Fig. 9-is a detailrepresentation exemplifying'ameans for making the draft mechanism readily detachable from the hame. 1Fig. lOis a perspective view ofa hook whichmay desirably .beemployed inthelatterconstructionr 1 Referringto Figs. 1', 2 and 3 A designates V la hame-bodywhichmay be of the usual; or any suitable construction and Bdeslgnatesla trace. The trace shown in this figure is a chain, butit maybe of any other suitable kind. In this particularform-of theinventionthe part of the draft mechanism which isattached tozthehame-body is composed of an appropriate number of links, 10, and anintermediate plate 1'1, the said'platehaving' its endslooselyor'pivotally connected to the links and being formed'with a longitudinalopening 12. The upper and lower end links are loosely or pivotallysecured tothe hame body, at 1'3, bysuitable means, as the staplesv 14,for example. The trace member,-marked D, may-desirably consist of a hook15 which is engaged by the trace B and has its shank or stem 16 passedthrough the slot 12 and provided with a head 17 at its end, whereby saidhook is free to slide within the slot 12 body A. and' isheld againstdisplacement from the plate 12 by the head 17 'It will be noted-thatthememberiDis free to move in in the direction of the length of the hamethedirectionof the-length ofthe hame-body other part of the mechanism isattached to the hame-body, and that the said places of attachment are soarranged with respect to each other as to distribute the strain over acomparatively considerable area of the hame-body. It will further benoted that the beneficial results accruing from the use of a hame-memberwhich is secured to the hame-body at separated places and is correlatedwith a trace member which automatically adjusts itself to accord withthe line of pull are secured in a simple and practicable manner by theconstruction herein described.

Other means than the slotted plate 11 and trace member D, arranged tohave free relative sliding movement in the direction of the length ofthe hame-body, may be employed if desired. For example, in Figs. 4, 6and 7, I have shown a bar, marked 21, as a substitute for the slottedplate, and a hook 26, having an eye 27 loosely mounted on the bar, as asubstitute for the member D. It will be observed that in Fig. 4, I haveshown the rod or bar 21 connected tothe hame-body at separated placesalong the length of the latter, by links which are loosely pivotallyconnected to the ends of the bars and to the hame-body, these partsbeing like the corresponding parts in Fig. 1: but if preferred otherfexible means may be substituted for the chains formed by the linksreferred to, as exemplified in Figs. 7 and 8, or the means which connectthe intermediate element with the hame body may be of rigid constructionas exemplified in Figs. 5 and 6.

Upon reference to Fig. 5, it will be noted that I have exemplified aform of the invention wherein two rigid arms 80 whose ends are looselyor pivotally connected, at 83, to staples 34 by which they are attachedto the hame body, extend convergently from the staples to opposite endsof a connecting element which is structurally the same as the plate 11and which is correlated with a trace member identical with that shown inFig. 3. The arms 30 are pivoted to the ends of the plate 11, as shown at35. In Fig. 6, I have shown a construction in which the arms 30 havetheir rear ends pivoted to a bar which is marked 21, being like thatshown in Fig. 4.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown leather straps as substitutes, as alreadystated, for the chains 10 and arms 30. In the construction shown in Fig.7, the straps, marked 40, have their forward ends provided with eyes 43by which they are pivotally attached to the staples and the strapsextend thence conver 'ently to opposite ends of and are pivotallyattached to a connector 21, the said connector being in this particularinstance identical with the bars 21 of Figs. 4 and 6. In Fig. 8, the twoflexible straps 20 have their rear ends loosely looped over the tracemember I), the latter preferably consisting of an ordinary loop or D asshown. This loop or D is connected to the forward end of the trave B.The trace employed with the form of the invention shown in Fig. 8 ispreferably leather. The trace may be either a chain or leather, in anyof the other forms. lVhen the line of pull is changed, in theconstruction shown in Fig. 8, the trace member I) moves automaticallywith relation to the members 20 in the direction of the length of thehame-body, whereby the line of pull always falls on the hamebody A at apoint centrally between the attaching elements 34. In all of the otherforms the trace member slides on the plate or bar, as the case may be.

In all of the herein exemplified forms of the invention the members ofthe draft con nection are, connected to each other at a place which issubstantially in line with a point equidistant between the places atwhich the draft connection is secured to the hame-body and the severalparts are loosely connected toeach other. As already stated, one memberof the draft connection is arranged to move automatically in thedirection of the length of the hame body when the direction of pull ischanged, and it will beobserved that in the several forms hereinexemplified this automatic shifting of the point of connection of thedraft members to each other is brought about by forming one member withan opening through which another member loosely extends so as to permitfree relative sliding movement between said members in the direction ofthe length of the hame body.

If it is desired to arrange the draft connection so that it may bequickly detached from the hame body, various practical ways ofaccomplishing this may be resorted to, the way preferred by me beingshown in Figs. 9 and 10, wherein each staple 14 is shown as beingprovided with an approximately U-shaped hook 50 whose spaced limbs 51are formed with reverted free ends adapted to be engaged by and toretain an eye or other suitable element on the draft connection.

Having now described the invention what I believe to benew and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a hame-body and a draft connection, the said draftconnection comprising an element arranged to be attached to a trace anda means for connecting said element to the hame-body, said means beingattached to the hame-body at separated places along the length of thelatter, and said element and means being con nected to each othersubstantially in line with the center of the space between said places,the connection between the trace-element and means being arranged topermlt free relative sliding movement in the direction of the length ofthe hame-body.

2. The combination of a hame-body and a draft connection, said draftconnection the hame body at spaced places alongthe length of the latterand to a trace and a means having end parts which are loosely attachedto the hame-body at separated places along the length of the.

latter, the trace part and said means having connection with each otherat a place which is substantially in line with a point on the hame-bodyequidistant from the places at which the end parts are'secured to thehamebody, said connection being arranged to per.- mit relatlve slidingmovement in the d1rection of the length of the hame-body automatically,in accord with changes in the direction of the line of pull.

4. The combination of a hame body and a draft connection, said draftconnection having end parts which are loosely connected to the hamebodyat separated places along the length of the latter and an interposedpart which is loosely connected to the end parts, a member which isarranged to be connected with a trace and is loosely connected to theinterposed part, the connection of the interposed part and the saidmember being such as to permit free relative sliding movement thereof inthe direction of the length of the hame-body, in accord with changes inthe direction of the line of pull. r

"5. The combination of a hame-body and a draft connection, the draft.connection comprising elements which are looselyconnected'to the hamebody at spaced places along the length of the latter and an elementwhich is arranged to be connected to a trace and has connection with thefirst named elements, the connection between said elements including anopening arranged to permit free relativev sliding movement in thedirection of the length of the hams-body;

6. The combination of a hame body and a draft connection, the said draftconnection comprising an element arranged to be attached to a trace anda means for connecting said element to the hame-body, said an elementarranged r to beconnected to a trace, the latter element having a looseconnection with the firstthe draft connection also having means havingflexible elements which are pivotally attached-to the hams-body atseparatedfplaces along-the length of the latter,

said trace element andfiexible elements having connection witheach otherat, a place which is substantially in line" with a point equidistantbetween the places atwhich the comprising elements which are connectedto}; e bl m t f q e ed wi hem body and said connection belng arranged to:permit free relative sllding-movement of the trace element and flexibleelements in the direction of the length of the hame-body.

. 7. The combination'of a hame-body and a draft connection, the draftconnection "comprisinga trace-member and a bar, the

bar having means by which its ends are connected to the hame-body atseparated places along the length ofthe latter and the trace memberbeing automatically slidable on the bar in accord with changes in. thedirection ofthe line of pull.

hame-body and are attached to the hamebody at separated places along thelength of the latter, combined with a trace-memher which is slidablymounted on the bar.

9. A hame body, a bar, means having ends loosely connected to the endsof the bar and other ends loosely connected to the hame-body atspaced-apart places along the length of the latter, and a trace elementlooselyconnected to the bar and automatically slidable therealong inaccord with 8. Ahame body, a bar, andflexible means which connect theends of the bar with the changesin the direction of the'line of pull.

10. A hame' body, a bar, means loosely connected to the ends of the barand extending dive'rgently therefrom to the hame-body and having looseconnection with the latter, and a trace element loosely connected to thebar ata' place which is substantially in line with a point on thehame-body equidistant from the places at which said means are connectedto'the hame-body, the trace element being automatically slidable along]the bar in accord with changes in the direction of the line of pull.

11. A hame-body having staples at spaced distances along its length;elements whose correspondlng ends are loosely connected to said staples,respectively; connecting means for the other ends-of said elements,loosely connected thereto; and a trace element loosely mounted on. saidmeans so as to be freely ad ustable thereon in the direction of thelength'of the hame-body in accord with changes'in the direction of theline of pull.,

12. A hame-body having staples at spaced distances along the lengththereof, open hooks loosely connected to said staples, elements whosecorresponding ends are detachably engaged with said open hooks, an-

element arranged to be connected to a trace, and a loose connectionbetween the latter element and the other ends of the firstmy hand inpresence of two subscribing named elements, the last named element be-Witnesses.

in slidable transversely of the ends of T thg first-named elements toautomatically UEOEGE FORMAT" 5 change position in accord with changes.in WVitnesses:

the direction of the line of pull. RAY M. MGGRATH, In testimony whereofI have hereunto set LOUISE M. KO NIG.

Copies of this. patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

